Ema Roberts soars to record heights for HLV/Tri-County in 1A high jump triumph

DES MOINES — Consider Ema Roberts a recent addition to HLV/Tri-County’s distance medley relay team.

But the senior’s been a high-flying mainstay at Drake Stadium for a long time.

Friday, Roberts made history by soaring over the bar set the 5-feet nine-inch mark to become a repeat champion in the Class 1A high jump — breaking a 13-year-old class record in the process.

But she didn’t have time to talk. She immediately had to check in for 400-meter relay qualifying, so her jumps coach, Bill Kaestner, spoke for her.

“(At) the conference meet, she had three really good attempts at 5-8 and I knew I did not have her in the right position,” Kaestner said of Roberts, who had never cleared higher than 5-7 before Friday’s massive leap. “So I knew if I could put her (there) she could make it — but she went even bigger than I thought she would. She cleared that easily.”

Roberts returned to speak later after helping the Warriors secure the second seed in Saturday’s 4 x 200 final. So did she expect to reach that dizzying height?

“No,” she said, smiling. “I knew I definitely had a PR coming up. I knew the state record was close for me to get, but I never expected to do 5-9 and a half.”

Kaestner said only clearing 5-6 while tying for second in the high jump at last month’s Drake Relays motivated Roberts, which it did — but with some anxiety attached.

“Going back to Drake, I was scared to even see big bars,” said Roberts, who helped her team earn third in the distance medley relay. “My 5-9 and a half, I just collapsed on the mat because I was so happy.”

Iowa Valley standout thrower Lydia Kriegel felt good about a third-place finish in the discus — an event she won at state last season. She also took second in the shot put on Thursday.

“Nothing to complain about,” the future Wartburg athlete said. “I am so happy with how I performed this week and I’m excited for college and to see what I’m able to do there.”

Fort Dodge St. Edmond leads the 1A girls’ standings with 31 points. HVC/Tri-County is tied for fifth with 18 points.

State track and field: Class 1A Girls

At Des Moines (Drake Stadium)

Top 10 teams (through 10 events) — 1. Fort Dodge St. Edmond 31; 2. Council Bluffs St. Albert 24; 3. Tie, Lake Mills, Pekin 21; 5. Tie, HVC/Tri-County, Nashua-Plainfield, Saint Ansgar 18; 8. Maquoketa Valley 15; 9. Iowa Valley 14; 10. Tie, Alta-Aurelia, Madrid 13.

Discus— 1. Anna Hadley (Pekin), 150-09; 2. Lindsay Kruse (Saint Ansgar), 138-04; 3. Lydia Kriegel (Iowa Valley), 1:37-00.

High jump — 1. Ema Roberts (HLV-Tri-County) 5-09.50; 2. Avery Eastvold (Lake Mills), 5-04; 3. Tie, Rowan Jacobi (Springville), Aubree Shields (Mount Ayr), 5-02; 5. Tie, Makenzie Budach (Lake Mills), Mikala Luzum-Selmon (Lisbon), Emersyn Reiter (Lisbon), 5-0.

Distance medley relay — 1. Council Bluffs St. Albert (Monahan, Livingston, S. Denton, L. Denton), 4:05.87; 2. Nashua-Plainfield, 4:08.69; 3. HLV/Tri-County, 4:12.26.

800 relay — 1. Lake Mills (Leibeg, A. Eastvold, Budach, R. Eastvold), 1:46.15; 2. Bellevue, 1:46.65; 3. Maquoketa Valley, 1:47.14; 7. Lone Tree. 1:47.52.

400 hurdles — 1. Ada Hansen (CAM Anita), 1:02.97; 2. Anna Lursen (Fort Dodge St. Edmond), 1:05.06; 3. Kennedy Brant (Gladbrook-Reinbeck), 1:05.32.

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